I hate Italian Food

Or I did anyways, until I went to Venice, Italy a few years ago.  My mom is a really, really good cook and she taught me everything I know about cooking and it is her love of cooking that made me the food snob I am today, but god help her she loves lasagna and spaghetti and I ate SO much of those foods growing up, I can not stand Italian food today. Well, except for these recipes of course.

Amber’s Italian Sub

salami
ham
asiago cheese
grated Parmesan
mayo
oregano
banana peppers
ciabatta or sourdough
green leaf lettuce
sprouts

Preheat the broiler. Mix together most of the asiago cheese, oregano and the mayonnaise. Spread this mixture on the bread, top with the meats, sprinkle a little cheese on top. Broil for a few minutes, until the bread is slightly brown and the cheese is melty. Top with the veggies and serve.


Alfredo sauce
This sauce is so good on a pizza or on pasta
If your in a hurry you can melt the butter in the microwave and mix all ingredients, heat to serve. If not in a hurry, melt butter on the stove top, add all ingredients and warm.

1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
3 tab good quality butter
basil
1/4 cup half and half
roasted garlic


Bread knots
This recipe comes from the Grinder Restaurant in Running Springs, but this is my version

Pizza dough
olive oil
garlic salt
garlic powder
one head of roasted garlic
oregano
basil
parsley
grated Parmesan cheese

Slice the dough into small bite size pieces. Tie each piece into a knot, place on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 nine minutes until just starting to brown. Turn the knots over, let cook nine more minutes. Mix the olive oil, garlic, herbs and seasonings. Drizzle this over the knots and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese.

If you want to make cheese knots, after you turn the knots the first time sprinkle with grated Fontina, or provolone cheese.

Marinara Chicken Breasts

Orzo
chicken breasts
1/2 cup ricotta cheese (or goat cheese)
basil
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tab butter
2 cloves garlic
1 can Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella
1/2 cup sour cream

Beat the breasts until thin. Mix ricotta and chopped basil and put a scoop in each breast. Roll up. Set in a glass baking dish.  In a pan melt the butter, add the garlic for a few minutes, then cream, sour cream and tomatoes. Add some basil also. Pour the red sauce over the chicken, top with the mozzarella. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes Serve over the cooked orzo.

The best sausage pasta


Poplano peppers after smoking, along with smoked Italian Sausages


whole wheat sausage
1 can Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes
basil
1 package Italian sausage, cooked in broiler 10 minutes
splash of dry sherry
sour cream
goat cheese

When the sausage is cool, cut it into pieces, put in a hot pan, add the sherry to deglaze the fat, and then the tomatoes, the basil and the sour cream. Cook for ten minutes on low until the sauce is warm. Serve over whole wheat pasta with goat cheese.